Burglar-trap.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

G. W. WRIGHT.

BURGLAR TRAP. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 8.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

GemyeW @wi/hama@ wmf j f No. 788.181. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

G. W. WRIGHT.

BURGLAR TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.8.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

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NTTED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OEETCE.

BURGLAR-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.z 788,181, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed October 8, 1904. Serial No. 227,759.

To all whom, t'tJnay con/cern,.-

Be it known that 1, GEORGE 1V. WRIGHT, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Laurinburg, (R. F. D. No. 1,) in the county of Scotland and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Burglar-Trap, of

which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in burglar-traps.

The object ot' the present invention is to improve the construction ot' burglar-traps and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one designed for use in banks, mercantile establishments, residences, and various other places and adapted to be conveniently arranged adjacent to a safe or at an entrance and capable of being automatically sprung by the weight ci' a person and of coniining and locking the captured person to et'- fectually prevent his escape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trap of this character capable of being securely locked against operation to prevent it from being sprung during the day or other desired time and adapted to be readily set when it is desired to arrange it for automatic operation.

The invention also has for its object to provide a burglar-trap which will be sprung only when it is subjected to the greater portion of the weight of a person, whereby a person springing the trap will be prevented from escaping when he linds his supporting-surface giving away beneath his weight.

l ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing Jfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a burglar-trap constructed in accordance with this invention and shown set. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. l, showing the trap sprung. Fig. 4c is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the upper portion of the bu rglar-trap, illustrating the manner of locking the same out of operation. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the sliding frames.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. l

l designates a well or casing forming a cage and adapted to receive a burglar or other intruder and extending downward from the Hoor or supporting-surface 2 a suitable distance. The well or casing, which may be constructed of any desired material, is preferably rectangular in horizontal section, and it receives a trap-door 3, which when the trap' is set is arranged liush with the iloor or supporting-surface 2. A suitable opening 4 is provided in the floor or supporting-surface to receive the trap-door, which is guided in its downward movement by the well or casing. The trapdoor, which is provided with arms 5 and 6, is connected by the means hereinafter described with a pair of sliding doors 7, mounted in suitable Ways 8 beneath the iioor and adapted when the trap is sprung to cover the topof the well or casing for vlocking the captured person therein. The Ways 8 are disposed horizontally and extend across the top of the well or casing. The sliding doors are preferably provided at their ends with a spring-catch 9 or other suitable means for locking them in their closed position.

The arms 5 and 6 of the trap-door are formed by bars arranged at right angles to each other and suitably connected with the said trapdoor. These arms, which guide-the trap-door in its vertical movement, operate in slots or openings l() and 11 of the sides of the well or casing. The arms 5, which project in opposite directions from the trap-door, extend through the slots l() and are adapted to engage slidable frames l2, which are connected at their tops by cables or ropes 13 or other suitable liexible connections with the outer portion of the sliding doors. rlhe slidable frames, which are substantially oblong', are composed or' parallel rods and connecting top and bottom pieces 14 and l5. The rods are IOO arranged in guides 16, and the lower connecting-piece 15 is substantially U-shaped, the upper terminals of the sides being bent outwardly and perforated to receive the rods. The lower ends of the rods are threaded to receive nuts 17, which are arranged in pairs and which are located above and below the outer ends of the lower connecting-piece 15. The nuts enable the connections between the trap-door and the slidable doors to be adjusted for closing the slidable doors properly when the trap is sprung. The connecting top piece 14, which is perforated to receive the outer ends of the rods, is also provided between the same with a perforation for the adjacent end of the flexible connection 13. rl`he flexible connection 13 is knotted or otherwise secured to the top piece 14, and the Lipper ends of the rods are preferably provided with heads, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. When the slidable doors are open, the vertically-movable frames are raised and the lower connecting-pieces are arranged in the path of the arms 5, whereby when the trap is sprung the vertically-movable frames will be drawn downward for closing the sliding doors. Suitable guide-pulleys 13 are arranged to receive the iiexible connections, which extend from the slidable doors to the vertically--movable frames.

The trap-door is yieldingly held in its set position by means of a spring-actuated bolt 18, mounted in a suitable casing and having its engaging end beveled at the top and bottom and arranged in the path of a projecting keeper 19. The keeper is mounted on one of theA arms 6, and the spring-actuated bolt, which may be of any desired construction, is designed to be of a strength sufficient to maintain the trap-door in a set position until the said trap-door is subjected to a weight of about seventy-five pounds, or thereabout` so that the trap-door will not be sprung until it is subjected to the greater portion of the weight of an average person. rlhis will prevent a burglar or other intruder from escaping when the trap is sprung and when he feels the supporting-surface giving away beneath him.

rl'he trap-door is positively locked in its set position by means of a pair of slidable bolts 20, mounted in suitable guides and arranged to extend across the slots 11 and to project beneath the arm 6, suitable keepers 21 being provided at opposite sides of the slots 11 to receive the extended portion of the bolts. The bolts are provided with loops 22 for the reception of an operating-rod 23, which is fulcrumed in a loop 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Access is had to the slidable bolts 20 by means of small hinged trapdoors 25, and the operating rod or bar 23 is provided with a suitable stop to prevent it from dropping through the loop 24.

The arms 6 are provided with pulleys 26, arranged in suitable casings and receiving a setting rope or cable 27, secured at one side of the well or casing and extending downward therefrom to the pulley 26 at that side of the trap-door. The setting rope or cable is then extended across the well or casing beneath the trap-door to the other pulley 26, and its free end is supported by an upper guide-pulley 28. r1`he guide-pulley 28, which is located at the side opposite that at which the setting rope or cable is fastened, is mounted in a suitable hanger, and the free end of the rope or cable is arranged adjacent to one of the hinged trap-doors 25. By pulling on the rope or cable the vertically-movable trapdoor may be elevated for setting' the trap. When the vertically-movable trap-door is raised by the setting rope or ca-ble, the yieldable catch is adapted to automatically engage the projection or keeper of the arm 6 of the trap-door.

It will be seen that the burglar-trap is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily constructed in various places, and that when set the trap-door forms a continuation of the floor and is not liable to arouse the suspicion of the burglar or other intruder. Also it will be clear that when the trap-door is sprung the slidable doors will be automatically closed and will be locked in their closed position to eectually prevent the escape of a captured person.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 1. Adevice of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a vertically-movable trap-door operating within the well or casing, a device for yieldably supporting the trapdoor at the top of the well or casing, means for closing the top of the well or casing when the trap is sprung, and connections between the trap-door and the said means for closing the latter.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a vertically-movable trap-door operating in the well or casing, means for yieldably supporting the trap-door in an elevated position to set the same, slidable doors for closing the top of the well or casing when the trap is sprung, and means actuated by the trap-door for closing the slidable doors.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a vertically-movable trap-door, means for closing the well or casing when the trap is sprung, and mechanism actuated by the trap-door for operating the said means.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a trap-door, slidable doors for closing the well or casing when the trap is sprung, and means for setting the trapdoor.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a trap-door, means for IIO setting the trap for the same, sliding doors for closing the Well or casing when the trapdoor 4is sprung, and means for closing the sliding doors.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a trap-door, slidable doors mounted at the top oi' the Well or casing and separable to permit the trap-door to be arranged at the top of the said well or casing, and means for setting the trap-door, and means for closing the sliding doors when the trapdoor is sprung.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a Wellor casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor, a slidable door arranged at the top of the well or casing,'a movable frame located iii the path of the trap-door, and means for connecting the movable frame with the sliding door for closing the same when it is actuated by the trap-door.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a Well or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor, slidable doors mounted at the top of the well or casing, movable frames arranged in the path of the trap-door, and flexible connections extending from the movable frames to the sliding doors.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a well or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor having opposite projections, oblong frames receiving the projections and arranged in the path of the same, sliding doors, and means for connecting' the sliding doors With the said frames.

10. A device of the class described, comprising a Well or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor provided with opposite projections, vertically-movable frames receiving Athe projections and arranged in the path of the same and composed of rods and upper and lower connecting-pieces, one or' the connecting-pieces being adjustable, sliding doors, and means for connecting the sliding doors with the said frames.

1 1. Adevice of the class described, comprising a Well or casing, a trap-door movable vertically from the top to the bottom of the Well or casing, means for setting the trap-door, and a locking device for positively holding the trap-door in its set position at the top of the casing.

12. A device ofthe class described, comprising a well or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor, means for setting the trap-door, means for closing the Well or casing when the trapdoor is sprung, a locking device for positively holding the trap-door in its set position, and means for operating the locking device.

13. Adevice of the class described, comprising a vvell or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor provided with opposite pulleys, a setting rope or cable secured at one side of the Well or casing and extending beneath the trap-door and received by the pulleys thereof, a guidepulley arranged at the side opposite that at which the setting rope or cable is -secured and receiving the free end of the same, and means for setting the trap-door.

14. Adevice of the class described, comprising a Well or casing, a vertically-movable trapdoor, a yieldable device for setting the trapdoor, a slidable locking device having a loop and adapted to positively hold the trap-door in its set position, a iXed loop forming a fulcrum, and a removable bar or lever adapted to be placed in the fixed loop for engaging the loop of the slidable locking device.

15. A device of the class described, comprising a Well or casing, a trap-door, means for setting the trap-door, slidable doors for closing the top of lthe Well or casing When the trap-door is sprung, means operated by the trap-door for closing the sliding doors, and an automatic locking device arranged at the inner ends of the sliding doors when the latter are closed for securing the same in their closed position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE IV. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, BLANCHE J. KALDENBACK. 

